Teacher pleads guilty to statutory rape

Former Thurston Middle School teacher Rick Scott pleaded guilty to

two felony counts of statutory rape on Friday.

Scott was sentenced to serve 60 days in Orange County Jail, three

years of probation and to pay the costs of any counseling for the

victim.

He will not be required to register as a sex offender, Deputy

District Atty. Steve McGreevy said.

Scott was accused of having sex with a member of the girls’ water

polo team twice between 2000 and 2002. The girl was 17 in 2002.

The school board has not yet taken any action to fire Scott, said

Darrin Reed, executive assistant to Supt. Theresa Daem.

Scott coached both the girls’ and boys’ water polo team. He was

twice honored as CIF coach of the year.

Laguna doctor named physician of the year

Laguna doctor Korey Jorgenson was named 2004 California Physician

of the Year by the California Academy of Family Physicians.

Jorgenson, who has worked with the Laguna Beach Community Clinic

since 1972, received the award April 2 in San Francisco at the

Academy’s annual Scientific Assembly.

He was nominated for the award by Dr. Thomas Bent, medical

director of the Community Clinic.

“It’s a big deal and we’re very pleased that he got it,” Bent

said.

Jorgenson, who served as medical director of the Community Clinic

from 1999 to 2002, has extensive experience treating HIV/AIDS. In

1992, Jorgenson designed the clinic’s Early Intervention HIV

treatment program and from 1999 to 2002 also served as director and

director emeritus of HIV Early Intervention Service at the clinic.

Surfrider Foundation has benefit concert

A benefit for the Laguna Beach chapter of the Surfrider Foundation

will feature live music by the Blues Offenders, Ken Garcia and Chris

Wissler. Alec Bridges, Nate Wood and Brian Rabben will perform for

the first time in 10 years. The concert will be held at from 3 to 8

p.m. on May 2 at the Ocean Avenue Brewery, at237 Ocean Ave. A raffle

will include prizes from Laguna restaurants and surf shops.

Information: (949) 235-6079.

Patriots Day available on small screen

The Patriots Day Parade will be replayed on Cox Communication

Channel 30 at 4 p.m. Tuesday; 7 p.m. Thursday; and 9 a.m. April 24.

Open Gatherings meeting are set for today

This theme for today’s Open Gatherings Salon will be “Spring into

Relationship: Listening Each Other into Consciousness.”

Open Gatherings is a nondenominational movement that explores

topics of spirituality, relationships and personal ethics.

The discussion will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian

Universalist Fellowship, 429 Cypress Drive. Admission will be free,

but donations will be welcomed. Free child care will be provided for

children under four-years-old. Information: (949) 370-7040 or

https://www.opengatherines.com.

Garden tour is planned for May 6

The Laguna Beach Garden Club will host a tour of six north Laguna

gardens. Ticket sales will be used to raise money for horticulture

students at Saddleback College. The tour is scheduled from 11 a.m. to

4 p.m. on May 6. Tickets will cost $20, and must be purchased in

advance. Box lunches will be available for $10. For tickets, write to

P.O. Box 362, Laguna Beach, CA 92562. Information: Call Catherine

Hall at (949) 494-4974 or Gayle Whitaker at (949) 494-4544.

League of Women Voters meeting set

The Laguna Beach unit of the League of Women Voters has

rescheduled a meeting on transportation in Orange County. Norma Young

and Siggy Johnson will lead the discussion. The meeting is now

planned to begin at 9:15 a.m. on April 24. It was initially scheduled

for April 17. The meeting will be held at the Raun residence at 3085

Alta Laguna Blvd. Information call (949) 494-9928.

Library will host poetry contest

The Laguna Beach Library will sponsor its sixth annual poetry

contest through April.

Participants can submit up to three entries by April 30. Poems can

be placed in the poetry mailbox inside the library’s front door. The

library is at 363 Glenneyre St. Information: (949) 497-1733.

Band highlights rocket fundraiser

A community fundraiser for the new rocket ship at Bluebird Park

will include live music by the Blues Offenders, a barbecue, a silent

auction and a chance to win a two-night stay at the Montage Resort

and Spa.

The fundraiser will befrom 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Tivoli Too!

at 777 Laguna Canyon Road. Tickets will cost $35 for adults pre-paid

or $40 at the door. The cost for children ages 3 to 12 will be $15.

Admission for children under two will be free. Tickets and

information: (949) 494-0514. South Lagunans can buy tickets at the

Kinsman and Kinsman CPAs, 32355 S Coast Highway.

Charm House Tour tickets are available

The Village Laguna Charm House Tour will feature five homes. The

tour will begin at noon May 16.

Chartered Laguna Beach city trams will leave continuously from the

bus stop in front of the Festival of Arts grounds, 650 Laguna Canyon

Road.

Trams will circulate among the homes and return to the festival

area and serve the Act V parking lot throughout the day. The last

tram will depart at 3:30 p.m., and homes will close for viewing at

5:30 p.m. Trams will take participants to each home, but walking and

stair climbing will be required. and Comfortable shoes are

recommended. The tour, which normally takes two to three hours, can

be completed at one’s own pace.

Tickets will cost $35 each in advance, and $40 the day of the

event. Tickets can be obtained by writing P.O. Box 1309, Laguna

Beach, CA 92652.

Tickets will be on sale starting in mid-late April at shops and

offices throughout town.

Annual Playhouse golf tournament set

Golfers are invited to the fourth annual Laguna Playhouse Charity

Golf Tournament to benefit the Laguna Playhouse Youth Theatre

Program.

Participants will play in a four person scramble that will include

wine tasting on several holes, celebrity contestants, skill contests

and a chance to win a car.

The May 4 tournament will begin at 1:30 p.m. and will be followed

by a 5:30 p.m. dinner and performance featuring Laguna Playhouse

students. The event will be held at Tijeras Creek Golf Club in Rancho

Santa Margarita, at 29082 Tijeras Creek.

The price for golf and dinner will be $175, dinner only will cost

$30. Information: (949) 362-7515 or https://lagunaplayhouse.com.